Stardust
Stardust is a 1989 Lungarian musical drama film written, produced, and directed by Georg Tammerdorfer, starring Helene Korschtaun, Jon Dausch, Henrik Porcht, Pauline Wiktor, and Daniel Neun. The story follows a band consisting of five young musicians, from their origins in high school to national stardom in adulthood, in addition to the drama that happens behind the scenes of show business. The film premiered in Vecker on 7 July 1989, and was later released in Lungary, Haff, and Efterland through Intercontinental Pictures on 14 July. The film received critical acclaim and grossed $67.6 million on a $1.4 million budget. It is widely regarded as one of the best films of the 1980s, and its soundtrack has went on to produce some of the most successful Lungarian singles of the decade. The use of the English language in Lungarian popular music is attributed to the success of the film. Plot On 19 February 1983, five 16-year-olds file into Saturday detention at their high school Wrauschmann Gymnasium in the fictional small town of Wrauschmann, Southeast Veckerland. Kristine Köpf (Helene Korschtaun) is a popular student from a wealthy family who is dating Denis Antonmann (Jon Dausch), a popular footballer who plans to play professionally after graduating. Ivan Karczuk (Henrik Porcht) is a quiet loner whose family emigrated from the Kashan Union a few years prior. Ingrid Vläffenbarger (Pauline Wiktor) is an intelligent yet awkward girl who plans on becoming the Prime Minister of Lungary, while Roman Brasch (Daniel Neun) is an outgoing and charismatic student who comes from a lower-income family. As they begin to bond with each other they discover a shared interest in music, and form a band that they decide to call Stardust. Six years later, Stardust has become a national success and are one of the most popular bands in the country. Kristine and Denis broke up shortly after graduating high school, and Denis is now in a relationship with Ingrid, who has become beautiful and is desired by many. Ingrid is largely considered to be "The Face of Stardust" by the media, which causes Kristine intense jealousy. Ivan has since broken out of his shell, and is in a lavender relationship with Dalian supermodel Antonia Ślaveseva (Rakela Danućavela) in order to conceal his hidden homosexuality, which is accepted and acknowledged by those around him. Kristine has since gotten close to Roman, who are both seen as the most "disposable" of the group. Following a concert in Kolna, the band retreats to their penthouse hotel suite and engage in a wild party complete with drugs and alcohol. While intoxicated, Kristine and Roman have wild sex in Roman's bedroom. Kristine awakens the next morning to find Roman gone. She finds a note from him which states that what they did was wrong, and that he regrets it entirely, which causes Kristine to break down in tears. Roman later introduces the band to his new girlfriend actress Georgina Hänschen (Mathilde Lamüg), whom he was set up with by Ivan in a similar lavender relationship, although to conceal his true feelings for Kristine instead of homosexuality. Upon meeting Georgina, Kristine becomes distraught and abruptly leaves the dress rehearsal for their upcoming concert in Scawer. While walking through the streets, a mugger attempts to rob Kristine. After he recognizes who she is, he proceeds to rape her in an alleyway before being scared off by Denis, who had come looking for her. In the days following, Kristine and Denis begin to grow closer, irking Roman and Ingrid in the process. Following another drunken party, Kristine and Denis begin to have sex and rekindle their relationship. They are walked in on by Georgina, who promises to keep their relationship a secret from the others. In the coming days, Roman begins falling deeper and deeper in love with Kristine, although he forbids himself from engaging with her. Georgina begins to notice his infatuation, and in a fit of rage informs him of her relationship with Denis. Infuriated, him and Denis get into a physical altercation. In the midst of their fight, it is revealed to Ingrid that Denis and Kristine had been sleeping together. Unfazed, Ingrid reveals that she never desired a relationship with Denis in the first place, and that she was in talks with record companies to go solo. A month later, news of Ingrid leaving the band to go solo goes public. In the years since, Ingrid has gone on to become a global sensation, while Stardust (with Kristine as the new lead singer) has gradually lost their place in the music industry. They are released from their record label, but when Ingrid comes back to offer Denis a spot in her life again to prevent him from becoming irrelevant, he declines. Instead, he and Kristine move to a secluded farmhouse in Northwest Veckerland, where they decide to live out the rest of their lives together by themselves, far away from stardom. Cast *Helene Korschtaun as Kristine Köpf *Jon Dausch as Denis Antonmann *Henrik Porcht as Ivan Karczuk *Pauline Wiktor as Ingrid Vläffenbarger *Daniel Neun as Roman Brasch *Mathilde Lamüg as Georgina Hänschen *Rakela Danućavela as Antonia Ślaveseva Production Casting Tammerdorfer began auditions for Stardust in summer 1987. While writing the script, he imagined teen idol Pauline Wiktor in the lead role of Kristine, but after bringing her in for an audition she became more drawn to the role of Ingrid. Following the audition of Helene Korschtaun, a relatively unknown actress, he decided that she was the perfect fit for Kristine. Korschtaun became the first actor cast, with Wiktor signing on shortly afterwards. Jon Dausch, who had previously starred in Tammerdorfer's 1987 film Never Been Kissed was invited by Tammerdorfer to audition for the role of Denis. While initially hesitant to continue acting in teen movies, he eventually agreed and signed on for the role. Henrik Porcht and Daniel Neun, two unknown actors, were the final two cast of the main five. Filming Principal photography for the film began on 24 February 1988. The school scenes were shot on-location at a closed high school in Munbach, while some additional scenes were shot on a sound stage. The remainder of the film was shot on-location in Kolna, Scawer, and Schauwe. Filming was officially wrapped on 26 May 1988. Release The film premiered in Vecker on 7 July 1989. It was later released through Intercontinental Pictures on 14 July in Lungary, Haff, and Efterland. The film has since seen a worldwide release through digital and home media platforms. Reception Critical Following its release, Stardust received critical acclaim. The review aggregator website MetaFilms gives the film a 93% approval rating based on the reviews of 176 critics. Box office In July 1989, the film debuted at number-one in the box office in Lungary, while at number-two and number-five in Haff and Efterland, respectively. The film garnered $46.9 million domestically and $20.7 million internationally for a total gross of $67.6. The film was considered a wide success, especially against its budget of $1.4 million. Soundtrack Main article: Stardust (soundtrack). Category:1989 films Category:Films directed by Georg Tammerdorfer Category:Films distributed by Intercontinental Pictures Category:Films written by Georg Tammerdorfer Category:Lungarian drama films Category:Lungarian-language films Category:Lungarian musical films Category:The Dorf Films films